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Replacing Kreider Won't Be Easy

Don’t look now, but we’re officially on the precipice of 2018. The Winter Classic is behind us, and before we know it, the February 26th trading deadline will be here. Having lost Chris Kreider for at least two months thanks to a blood clot in his arm, the Rangers’ deadline plans have surely been thrown a proverbial monkey wrench. However, it would be foolish to expect them not to do anything about replacing someone as valuable as Kreider as the deadline horizon narrows.

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It would go without saying, but Kreider, who was tied for second in goals and third in points among Rangers’ skaters at the time of his injury, isn’t an easy player to replace. His combination of size, speed, and net front presence make him a rarity in the league, and one of the Rangers’ most important forwards because of it. His speed, most of all, was a recurring nightmare for opposing defense to stay in front of. His deployment against slow-footed defenders often resulted in numerous odd man rushes and extended offense zone time thanks to his ability to quickly get behind them. Finding all of these qualities in one player is a cumbersome task, but there may be some options available worth exploring:

Le ciel et la terre?

One option who might be the closest to reproducing Kreider’s scoring production is Montréal Canadiens captain, Max Pacioretty – a player Darren Dreger mentioned in October that the Rangers “would probably move heaven and earth to get”. According to Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos, Marc Bergevin is actively shopping the 29-year old in the hopes of adding a younger scoring forward in return.

…

With one more year left on the deal before he’s eligible for Unrestricted Free Agency (UFA) he’s one of Bergevin’s best trade chips. However, that’s exactly why the Rangers need to be especially cautious in any negotiations for him. Having given up multiple assets and first-round draft picks for rental players over the last five years, they know all too well the cost of doing that kind of business consistently. But depending on what Bergevin’s idea of “young scorer” actually means, there may be wiggle room here.

Perhaps Jimmy Vesey—on pace to score 17 goals this year—could be part of a reasonable package? Or maybe the Rangers go the blockbuster route and move J.T. Miller in a trade that could be seen as helping the team maintain playoff position while sidestepping the big-money extension Miller is almost sure to sign this summer with just one year of Restricted Free Agency (RFA) left. It’s also possible the Rangers could further entice the Canadiens to play ball by offering up one or two of their defensive prospects, which currently includes 2014 first-round draft pick Anthony DeAngelo as well as 19-year old Sean Day, among others. In fact, DeAngelo could prove vital here in the wake of Montréal moving Mikhail Sergachev for Jonathan Drouin last June.

The downside to this type of trade, of course, is that the Blueshirts would sacrifice on age while only being guaranteed one more season of Pacioretty’s services. From an on-ice perspective, it’s important to point out that he also only really fills the scoring issue and would fail to bring the same physical edge or foot speed lost with Kreider’s injury. It’s not exactly apples to apples, but it’s hard to imagine the Rangers won’t inquire. They’ve wanted him for years, and this is arguably their best opportunity to acquire him without paying market price (yet).

Any acquisition via trade will cost too much. If we are giving up assets, it needs to be a deadline deal to shore up the weakness, at that time. Face it, if this team cant compete without Kreider, they have no chance in the playoffs, even if they make a trade now or then.

I'd like to see Miller get most of that ice time. Monthly Miller... he only shows up for a month during the season, so theres a good chance that month will be now (he also seems to have a history of ironically showing up when Kreider isnt). He's a versatile guy, can bring some of the forecheck pressure and net presence as Kreider, while mixing in a bit more playmaking.
I'd keep Lettieri in the line up, for now, to bring that energy. He's also been known to play a few different forward positions, so he's an asset in that sense. He also plays with energy, something this team routinely lacks. He cant be expected to put up the same numbers as Kreider or Miller, but he shouldnt be expected to. This team is deep enough at forward where guys like Miller, Nash, Hayes, VL, et al can pick up an extra minute or some PP time and compensate for any lost offense during Kreider's injury.
As for the "all parts of the ice"... we are talking about Kreider, so not playing a guy because he doesnt have a well-rounded game is... ironic.

I'm starting to think it'd be best to be sellers at the deadline this year. I know that's absolutely NEVER going to happen....for many reasons. So this is really a moot point, but I think the Rangers would be foolish to trade players like Skjei, Hayes, or any of their current youthful, talented core players to chase yet another pipe dream in the playoffs.

Again, as long as #30 is in goal, and the current roster of players I know they're going to take a stab at it. No MATTER WHAT!

I sure as hell feel as though the team is missing a lot of what it takes to win a Cup. I don't think many folks see it that way though. That's fine though! Hey, I'd love to see us pull one out of our asses. I think we have a better chance of eating 6 apples and shitting a fruit salad, than winning a cup, but what do I know!!! LOL

Either way, this Kreider setback may, or at least I hope, deters this team from bringing in Marcel Dionne, Guy Lafleur or Phil Esposito back. I just don't want to see them "go for it", and set us back another 78 years. I'd rather be patient and let this team develop with the players they're going to bring along and draft.

I love Lettieri!!! Watching that kid is a breath of fresh air! I wish he'd play more games! That kid actually SHOOTS the puck, and finishes checks...wait, and he actually skates hard....like he WANTS to play!!

I guess that makes him the best trade bait though!! I'd better keep it on the low down with him!! =)

I can't understand why anybody thinks this team should be sellers at the deadline.

Other than Tampa, every team in the East has massive flaws.

i can only speak for myself, but just as u need a top qb in the nfl to be successful, i believe given the current speed/skill focus in the nhl the same applies. be it pitt with sid/mal, chicago with toews/kane and even tampa with stamkos/kuch or other, i'd argue, while we are a nice team, we dont have that one elite guy.

Tavares would give us that and i'd be willing to take a step back this year to afford him.

Future, I just feel like this team is not any better than last year's or the year before. The Rangers as a unit, in my mind have taken some steps in the opposite direction. Slobber is correct in that we lack that elite player up front that can bury one when we need it, be it on the PP or 5 on 5.

Only 1 time in the last 78 years have landed Lord Stanley, and for much of my entire 47 years of fandom, the Rangers have always thrown caution to the wind to land that "when you wish upon a star" type player. It just doesn't seem to work, and all we do is give away talented youth or draft picks we could use to better fit the salary cap and bring in who and what we need here.

Tavares would be a score after this season, and if we had to take the bullet for this season to land him, I'd be all for it. I don't see the Islanders letting him get away, but he's just an example of the type of player we really need to put this team in the category of serious contenders. My opinion is that we have a decent team with very good goaltending that's fun to watch.

Win a Stanley Cup though? I wouldn't mortgage the farm on that one.

Somehow I see that Kreider's injury is not only going to keep him down, but I think it pretty much buries any outside shot of us going too far in the post season. I'd hope that Gorton realizes that he's not going to "replace" CK, and whatever he brings to do so is going to cost us dearly in youth, talent, and picks.

I would much rather see the Rangers do what in my mind's eye is the "right thing" this year and bring up the Chytil's, Lettieri's and others, while dealing players like Grabner, Nash, and maybe a couple others, to teams that may be able to utilize them to put them over the top. I even think at this point they might even be able to move Hank to a team that he could win a cup with. He's been phenomenal of late and he's got a lot of value back, but ugh....that contract!!

Listen, I know it's not going to happen. This team is NEVER a seller at the deadline, and this year won't be an exception by any means. ...just thinking outside the box to see if there's a way to look ahead to next season and maybe signing some serious off season talent and/or land a top quality #1 "Franchise player" type pick. ...maybe we can do both?!?!?

Tanking when you have as good a shot as all buy 1 or 2 teams in your conference to win the Stanley Cup is silly. The past 47 years are irrelevant.

I'm not saying sell the farm for rentals - far from it - but the idea that we should be sellers and committing to a rebuild this season is wrong. It was wrong last year and the year before. Forfeiting chances at the playoffs under the idea of a rebuild is a 50/50 shot at working. For every Pitt and Chicago, there's a Buffalo and Arizona. Any team can make a run in the the playoffs, especially in today's NHL, where there are only 4-5 teams that don't have huge holes on their roster.

This team doesn't need a guy who can "bury one when we need it" because that player doesn't exist in the NHL. The team does, badly, need a shooter, but you don't have to sell the farm to get one.

And the "all we do is give away talented youth and draft picks" hasn't really been true since before Renney. Who are we lamenting trading away? Saarela? Duclair? They've held all their top prospects for a long time and the middling guys don't move the needle one way or another. The Sauer injury and Cherepanov's death (potentially, anyway) were far more debilitating to the Rangers' cap than any trades they've made.

Plus, Kreider is expected to be out for 2 months. It's not as if they'd need to replace him for the playoffs and, if the team is still in playoff position after playing that long without a top line forward, that's a pretty good sign that they're legit.

I can't understand why anybody thinks this team should be sellers at the deadline.

Other than Tampa, every team in the East has massive flaws.

Because selling means more first-round picks. There's plenty of reason to love more than one pick in the first round, and to love, say, four in the last two years.

That said, I agree with you about the East, and we both know that if the team is in contention, they're not going to dismantle. They'll add. They're a decent enough team to make the playoffs at this rate, so adding isn't necessarily a bad thing. It would only improve their chances in the postseason. The key, like I hit on a few times in the article, is to not sell too large a stake for any given piece. In other words, no moving Chytil or Andersson. DeAngelo would be on my block, no problem. I actually think he'd have tremendous value to Montréal, especially, given the Sergachev trade.

No one said anything about tanking, Future. I think we'd have the same chance with the young players as we do right now with guys like Grabner, and Nash, to name just 2. It's not even a total rebuild, it would be a one season "re-tooling"...also since this draft is deeper than the last 7 years, it would and could be very useful to add some well needed, up front and hard working, skillful youth.

Again, it's not going to happen, man, so no use in getting too steep into this discussion.

My point is simply sticking to the Kreider point of "I hope they don't trade the farm to make up for Kreider" when I think they'd be better off adding/re-tooling from a deep draft that we may benefit from for years to come....not to mention possible going after any highly sought after UFA's that may come available. That's all.

Don't get me wrong, dude....I'd love to go to another parade! The last one was a life event for me! I just ain't booking any rooms in Times Square yet with this current team.

No one said anything about tanking, Future. I think we'd have the same chance with the young players as we do right now with guys like Grabner, and Nash, to name just 2. It's not even a total rebuild, it would be a one season "re-tooling"...also since this draft is deeper than the last 7 years, it would and could be very useful to add some well needed, up front and hard working, skillful youth.

Ah, ok, fair enough. I don't really agree with that but it's an argument I can buy at least.

I actually agree that we should be in the process of re-tooling, rather than selling futures for anything. But I don't like the idea of making your team worse when you're a playoff team, regardless of what it might mean for next year.

I'm with you on that! For sure....no one wants to see them just fold the tent at this point. We've come too far for that. I simply happen to think we may just have more in the tank than what we're playing with currently. It's no coincidence that my new main man, Lettieri potted one in his first game!

The kid's a gamer! Refreshing to watch too!!! I swear I left a cocoa puff in my BVD's when he scored that goal!!! LOL

Bottom line is as long as this ownership and mgmt is in place, this team will NEVER EVER win another championship. So all of you that are STH and others that buy tix to the games, I hope you enjoy losing. If I pay any $$$ for NYR crap, it's gonna be either at the clearance rack or the bargain basement bin.

Bottom line is as long as this ownership and mgmt is in place, this team will NEVER EVER win another championship. So all of you that are STH and others that buy tix to the games, I hope you enjoy losing. If I pay any $$$ for NYR crap, it's gonna be either at the clearance rack or the bargain basement bin.

losing? This has consistently been one of the top 3 teams in wins for the last decade plus.

You want to NOT do that, and think thats going to get you closer to a Stanley cup?

Replacing Kreider Won't Be Easy

Originally Posted by Slobberknocker

i can only speak for myself, but just as u need a top qb in the nfl to be successful, i believe given the current speed/skill focus in the nhl the same applies. be it pitt with sid/mal, chicago with toews/kane and even tampa with stamkos/kuch or other, i'd argue, while we are a nice team, we dont have that one elite guy.

Tavares would give us that and i'd be willing to take a step back this year to afford him.

just my 2 cents.

To me, Tavares looks like that kind of player we’ve been missing. It’ll cost us not being able to resign Nash, but as strong an all-round player Nash has been, it’s the kind of move the team needs to make. IMO

Trading present and future talent to try to replace Kreiders’ few lost weeks of production seems counter productive in the extreme.

By the way,. Regarding the thread title ... Some of us have been saying “replacing Kreider would be extremely difficult “ to the “trigger/happy impatient trade kreider cabale” for at least a couple of years now. The irony ...that it takes this kind of misfortune for that to become a “well duh!” moment.

I have such a love-hate mix of feelings regarding Kreider. At this point, I’d listen to all legit offers.

Nash? Much appreciative of his 2-way play but have grown tired of the spin-o-rama that results in nothing but a blown tire.

Grabner? Found a way to score as a Ranger the past 2 seasons. I don’t mind if we were to face him...and have him get breakaways against our D ‘cause he doesn’t finish consistently enough to be worried.

losing? This has consistently been one of the top 3 teams in wins for the last decade plus.

You want to NOT do that, and think thats going to get you closer to a Stanley cup?

YOU HONESTLY THINK that this team as it's constituted now can contend for a Stanley Cup this year?? This has been the story for years, always WIN NOW. As long as this org has that attitude it won't win a Cup anytime soon.